On Wednesday September 20, I was extremely honoredto go to the United Nations to deliver the NGO statement at the Article XIV Entry Into Force Conference of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

The CTBT is a treaty to permanently ban all nuclear weapons test explosions. Such a ban has been sought since the dawn of the nuclear age. Nuclear testing has fueled the arms race driving the development of more sophisticated and dangerous nuclear weapons, and spewing radioactive fallout around the world.

This is the 10th Entry Into Force Conference that seeks to garner support for the CTBT. The treaty that was negotiated and opened for signature in 1996 is currently signed by 183 countries and ratified by 166, but there are nine countries that must still sign and ratify the treaty before the CTBT enters into force. Those countries, are the United States, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Although the CTBT has not fully entered into force, over the past 21 years it has successfully set a global norm against nuclear testing, with North Korea the only country to conduct a nuclear test explosion in the 21st century. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) has developed an International Monitoring System and great technical expertise to detect and deter nuclear explosive tests.

Yet the CTBT’s entry into force is needed to bring the full force of international law to thwart nuclear testing and enable onsite inspections of suspected nuclear testing activities. As the foreign minister from the Marshall Islands noted in his statement at the Conference, the recent North Korea nuclear test “punctuates” the need for a CTBT. Indeed, later last week North Korea added a few exclamation points to that punctuation with its threats of a nuclear test in the Pacific and then concerns about seismic activities near North Korea’s test site. (It was, by the way, data from the CTBTO that provided information and assurance that this seismic activity was likely not a nuclear weapons test.)

The opportunity to deliver this statement on behalf of civil society was particularly meaningful to me.

I first learned about the campaign to end nuclear testing in 1988 when I was an intern working for Women Strike for Peace. The first week of my internship I attended a press conference honoring the 25th anniversary of the ratification of the Partial Test Ban Treaty that ended atmospheric nuclear testing. That’s when I heard the remarkable story of the 1961 cadre of self-proclaimed housewives who called for a one-day strike to, “end the arms race, not the human race.” These women were terrified of the building nuclear arms race and they were so concerned about radioactive fallout from atmospheric nuclear tests that they were sending their children’s baby teeth to be checked for levels of strontium-90. Their one-day strike turned into more strikes, demonstrations, and action. In 1963, they were proud of the role that they played in ending atmospheric nuclear testing. And then there was disappointment as underground nuclear testing continued to fuel the arms race and harm health and the environment. At that 1988 press conference, the women who participated in the 1961 strike and continued to work for an end to the nuclear arms race fervently believed that a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was their unfinished business.

A few years (and a law degree) later, I came back to Washington DC in 1996 to work as Coordinator of the Disarmament Clearinghouse – a coalition of grassroots organizations that included WAND, Peace Action, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Greenpeace and Plutonium Challenge. This was four years after the last U.S. nuclear weapons test had been conducted on September 23, 1992. There was a test moratorium in place and the United States was playing a leadership role in negotiating the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. In September 1996 when the CTBT was opened for signature at the UN in New York, I helped to organize bell-toll commemoration ceremonies across the country, and a few internationally, to mark five decades of nuclear testing impacts and welcome the treaty that was to complete the unfinished business of Women Strike for Peace and others who had long sought an end to nuclear testing.

It was a great moment, but it slipped sideways. In 1999 the U.S. Senate failed to vote to ratify the CTBT after a hasty and partisan debate. Since that failure to ratify the treaty, it has been too challenging a political environment to bring the CTBT forward for ratification given that a two-thirds majority vote in the U.S. Senate is required.

Still, last Saturday marked 25 years since the last U.S. nuclear test explosion and to most it has seemed settled that the United States would not resume explosive nuclear testing. The Trump administration, however, is unsettling in many ways. In fact, there are reasons to be concerned as pressure for new nuclear weapons development could provoke resumption of nuclear testing.

It’s important for us to resist any efforts to return to nuclear testing. Please sign our petition to halt funding for new nuclear weapons or nuclear testing.

The title of the NGO statement to this year’s Entry Into Force Conference is “Past Time to Finish What We Started.” For me that is spot on: my quest is to carry forward inspirational work started by mighty women, so that a permanent nuclear testing and the nuclear arms race is not a task that I leave still unfinished for my daughter and future generations. As we say at WAND, we are for the human race, not a new nuclear arms race.

Kathy Crandall Robinson
WAND Interim DC Director

Left to Right : Kathy Crandall Robinson, Madeleijn van den Nieuwenhuizen, Setou Ouattara from the CTBTO Youth Group and Daryl G. Kimball, Executive Director of the Arms Control Association

Nature just upped the ante on the bet for survival of the planet. Fires are raging in the west and fury struck our southern states twice in two weeks – the likes of which has never been seen before.

A glimpse at a map of wildfires from Idaho to California gives the appearance of an entire mountain range ablaze. The satellite view of Irma stretched from Florida to the Great Lakes. It will take the determination and resources of the whole nation to recover from these catastrophic events. What is in place for that kind of response?

The National Forest Service tells us that our fire seasons average 78 days longer than in 1970 and twice as many acres burn as three decades ago. In 2015, 52% of NFS budget went to wildfire costs, a jump of 36% from 20 years ago.

This means that less money is available for restoration but also for protecting watersheds. It takes away upkeep of programs that support thousands of recreation jobs that boost the economy of rural communities.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is coordinating the hurricane relief effort, an agency where fully a third of its leadership positions have not been filled under this administration. Part of the help for rebuilding will come from Community Development Block Grant funding, administered through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, an agency which was slated to lose 13.2% of it’s budget.

Shortly after Harvey hit, the House and Senate passed a combined $15.2 billion in hurricane relief. But Harvey alone is projected to cost up to $180 billion. And what about Irma? James Lee Witt, a former FEMA chief, says, “It’s not enough. It would be lucky if it lasts 30 days with both of these events going on at the same time.”

There is one department of the federal government that consistently receives its budget requests and sometimes Congress even grants more. I was glad to see that multiple branches of the Department of Defense have been called to help in this disaster relief.

The Air Force flew 300 doctors to Florida where Air National Guard used drones to help search and rescue teams find victims, and the Aircraft Carrier Lincoln was sent for disaster relief. It is reassuring when the equipment, training and organization of our armed services can be devoted to such life affirming efforts --something other than war.

President Trump has threatened North Korea with fire and fury the likes of which the world has never seen before. We’ve got our hands full dealing with the fire and fury that nature has unleashed. We would be much safer and more secure if a chunk of those defense dollars were directed to the agencies that respond to these national emergencies.

EXPLODINGNUCLEARRISKS:
New Nukes, Mini-Nukes & U.S. Nuclear Testing

Tuesday, August 29, 20174 pm – 5 pm Eastern

Resurgent nuclear threats are gaining intensity in the Trump Administration. You are no doubt aware of the president’s intemperate remarks that have inflamed relations between the United States and North Korea. Less publicly visible – but none-the-less menacing – is the gathering momentum in the era of Trump to pour accelerant on an international arms race with new nukes, mini-nukes and a return to U.S. nuclear testing in Nevada.

The good news is that we can nip this threat in the bud. Neocons, nuclear lab managers and others are pressing Trump to hit the accelerator on new warheads and the underground explosions needed to test them. Decisions will be made soon. Still, we have a rare opportunity right now to get out in front of the president and the neocons - to be proactive rather than reactive. We can put the brakes on these programs before they happen.

The webinar also honors the United Nations-designated “International Day Against Nuclear Tests.” The UN General Assembly voted unanimously in 2009 to adopt August 29 as a special day to increase awareness globally “about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions” and to take action for their permanent cessation. The date commemorates the closing of the Soviet test site at Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan on August 29, 1991.

Expect short presentations of about 10 minutes each, slides you can download, action materials you can share, and time for Q & A.

This one-hour webinar on August 29 will address:

What are the risks of nuclear explosive tests to public health and the environment?

How would the world respond if the U.S. resumes nuclear testing?

Which U.S. nuclear weapons programs are accelerating a perilous new arms race?

What are effective actions we can take to put the brakes on these nuclear dangers?

Your expert presenters are:

MARYLIA KELLEY is Executive Director of the Livermore-based Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment). She brings 34 years of research, writing, and facilitating public participation in decisions regarding the Livermore Lab, U.S. nuclear weapons complex, nuclear weapons, waste and cleanup. Kelley has testified before the House Armed Services Committee of the U.S. Congress, the California Legislature and the National Academy of Sciences, among other deliberative bodies. In 2002, Kelley was inducted into the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame. She has lived in Livermore since 1976.

SHERVIN TAHERAN is Program and Policy Associate with the Arms Control Association (ACA) and the Project for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). She is responsible for ACA membership development, outreach and coordinating ACA's events, and the Bipartisan Nuclear Policy Dialogue Project with congressional staff and members. She is also a member of the CTBT Organization Youth Group. Shervin has worked for both Republican and Democratic members of Congress, was a research assistant for the Woodrow Wilson Center, and interned with the National Iranian American Council prior to joining the Arms Control Association.

SUSAN GORDON is the coordinator of the Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment a coalition based in the Grants Mining District of New Mexico. MASE works toward the cleanup of contamination from past uranium mining and preventing new uranium mines. MASE works to secure health studies and compensation for communities and former uranium miners. Previously, she was the director of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability for 17 years working to address issues of nuclear weapons production and waste cleanup. She is a grassroots organizer that knows how to work at the community level, regional level and nationally. She lives in Santa Fe, NM.

Are you a first-term legislator? The conference fee is waived. Travel and lodging scholarships are available, and applications are open to all legislators.Don’t miss this unique opportunity, held at the Washington Court Hotel, 525 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001!

For more information about the WiLL/WAND Conference including scholarship applications, please call202-544-5055 or email will@wand.org.

On Monday, August 14, WAND's own Kathy Crandall Robinson made remarks at a press conference with Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), lead Senate sponsor of legislation that would prevent any U.S. president from launching a nuclear first strike without authorization from Congress. Read her prepared remarks from the press conference here.

I want to start with a brief “herstory” that sets a context for this particular moment of nuclear threats and the role of previous generations of women.

In 1961 a small cadre of women led by a self-proclaimed housewife, Dagmar Wilson, were scared and outraged about the nuclear threat: The Berlin Wall went up, U.S.-Soviet nuclear tensions were high, and atmospheric nuclear weapons tests were raining down fallout.

With sophisticated organizing tactics like phone trees with rotary dial phones, Dagmar’s group, Women Strike for Peace, organized upwards of 50,000 people to turn out for a one-day strike. This was the largest national women’s peace protest of the 20th century. They called for, “an end to the nuclear arms race not the human race.” And they went on beyond that one-day strike, protesting, demonstrating, and lobbying, and these women played a significant role in achieving a ban on atmospheric nuclear testing in1963.

In the 1980’s Women’s Action for Nuclear Disarmament, WAND, formed right near here in a kitchen in Cambridge. This was just as the Reagan administration was rattling sabers and increasing military spending. There was palpable fear about nuclear dangers spiraling out of control.

Dr. Helen Caldicott, an Australian physician spoke to growing audiences about the real dangers and impacts of nuclear weapons. In her wake, WAND sprung to life with chapters across the country contributing to the vibrant Nuclear Freeze Movement of the 1980’s.

Sayre Sheldon, a founder WAND (she was in that Cambridge kitchen) and Edie Allen who joined WAND and helped organize in the 1980’s are here today. Sayre and Edie are still pushing forward towards the new directions of peace and security with WAND – Women’s Action for New Directions.

WAND has been busy in the last decades. We have focused on growing our Women Legislators’ Lobby (WiLL) network of 700+ women state legislators who have particularly drawn attention to the excessive dollars poured into the nuclear enterprise and broader Pentagon and war spending – money that is not spent on pressing state and community needs.

Yet, to be honest, for many WAND/WiLL supporters like other women, the nuclear threat hasn’t provoked the fear, outrage and galvanizing imperative to action experienced by Women Strike for Peace in the 60’s and then WAND in the 80’s.

With the Trump Presidency this has started to change. WAND has seen new interest and engagement on these issues.

Then there was last week.

Just as we marked the anniversaries of atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki - 72 years since the last use of nuclear weapons, the President threatened North Korea with “fire and fury like the world had never seen.”

Then on the very anniversary of Nagasaki he boasted in a tweet: “My first order as President was to renovate and modernize our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before....”

Then there were retorts from North Korea, particularly threatening Guam. From Guam came public service tips about how to survive in case of a nuclear attack – “find shelter, don’t look at the fireball”, and this helpful tip: "Do not use conditioner in your hair because it will bind radioactive material to your hair."

Beyond the shear ridiculousness and sense of being transported back in time, I suddenly felt a whole new kind of fear and outrage. So did others.

And in this moment, the questions that Senator Markey and Congressman Lieu’s legislation raise suddenly are of much interest:

Really, is one person able to push us over the nuclear brink?

Perhaps even for no better reason than a particularly annoying tweet?

It is outrageous that any President has this sole authority even when Congress has the constitutional role of declaring war. It is terrifying when thinking of this President who, to put it charitably, lacks boundaries of appropriate behavior.

So now is the time to galvanize action and this legislation is a great starting point. AND while I know many women will lead the way – including our WiLL state legislators, there is not a gender requirement here. Together we must support the Human race over the arms race - with a hat tip to Dagmar Wilson, Helen Caldicott and many others who have led the way.

The events in Charlottesville last weekend may have irreversibly changed the way Americans deal with what is the lasting legacy of racism in our country. Gone are the days that those in the majority can conveniently sweep the very topic aside and proclaim we live in a post-racial world. Charlottesville has exposed our decaying underbelly of denial and lack of accountability.

Like many, we were caught off guard last weekend by the horrific events in Charlottesville. We were physically sickened by the overt display of racism and hatred espoused by the white supremacists, neo Nazis and so called white nationalists, who feel so emboldened by our present government leaders, that they do not even disguise themselves with hoods.

On Tuesday, August 15, that feeling of utter disgust and revulsion resurfaced with news of the President’s press conference in which he defended the alt-right with claims that the “alt-left” acted just as badly. Unfortunately, in this time of national concern for peace and safety in our communities, he continued to make that erroneous comment and other declarations that were conveniently fabricated.

While we support the rights endowed by the first amendment, WAND categorically rejects hatred, bigotry, racism, and violence. WAND also rejects the president’s interpretation of the events that occurred in Charlottesville last weekend. While WAND doesn’t condone violence in any form, it is important to clarify that in no way are those who stand up against hatred and bigotry equivalent to those who incite the destructive world view of white supremacy.

This is a call to action. Our only choice is to roll up our sleeves and work to make sure our country is safe for everyone. In keeping with WAND’s mission, to empower women to reduce militarism and violence and redirect federal budgetary funds towards unmet human needs, we have no option but to continue our important work. We valueall of humanity and opportunity for all, regardless of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, or disability. It will not be easy, but we will...we must prevail.

Amdt. would repeal the 2001 AUMF that authorized the United States “War on Terror”

June 29, 2017, Washington, D.C.-- Today, Women’s Action for New Directions Director of Government Affairs, Erica Fein, made the following statement in response to Representative Barbara Lee’s amendment to repeal the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) that was adopted in the House Appropriations Committee Markup:

“For too long, our government has been using a 2001 law to justify US military operations all over the world, not just in Afghanistan but also in Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, and Syria. The repeal of this law would re-establish proper Congressional prerogatives to debate and vote on whether to send our troops into harm’s way -- especially at a time when some of those who have served face the prospect of deportation.

“Congress’s decision not to debate, review, or change this 16-year old authorization means they have abrogated their oversight responsibilities. Further, subsequent presidents have not only waged endless wars, but they have also sought historically high levels of spending to conduct them. This year, Congress will debate and vote on a $700 billion Pentagon budget, hundreds of billions of dollars more than peak spending during the Reagan buildup or the Vietnam War. Moreover, the Trump administration has begun to conduct military operations in Syria -- against Syrian and Iranian-backed forces -- without Congressional authorization.

“Repeal of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force will send a strong signal that the executive branch should be constrained in its ability to conduct military operations abroad.

“WAND strongly applauds Congresswoman Lee for her tireless work on this issue and urges Congress to uphold this provision as the legislation is advanced through the legislative process.

Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND) is a grassroots advocacy organization that empowers women to be agents of change to reduce violence and militarism, support nuclear disarmament, and redirect excessive Pentagon spending to unmet needs in our communities. Twitter @WomensAction | wand.org

June 13, 2017 -- Today, Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-CO), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Adam Smith (D-WA) -- the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee-- and 38 others sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging that he pursue the following core bipartisan principles in his upcoming Nuclear Posture Review (NPR):

Reaffirm U.S. leadership for reducing the role and number of nuclear weapons globally.

Continue to support U.S.-led efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and materials.

Pursue a more cost-effective approach to sustaining and upgrading the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

Keep with longstanding practice of including all relevant voices in the NPR process

Among other things, the letter urges that the NPR clarify that the United States does not seek a new nuclear arms race, contrary to the President's tweets and statements on the matter. It highlights the importance of arms control, including the 2010 agreement between the United States and Russia known as the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) and urges that the treaty be extended. It also urges the Trump administration to fully fund international organizations that help prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Finally it asks the NPR to justify the all-of-the-above approach to replacing the current nuclear arsenal. Last week, the New York Times reported that the Congressional Budget Office has determined that upgrading and sustaining the nuclear arsenal over the next several decades will cost over $1 trillion -- an enormous expense for US taxpayers that takes away from investments that truly keep us secure.

The Nuclear Posture Review process was officially kicked off in April 2017. It will determine nuclear weapons policy for this administration. (The Obama administration completed its NPR in April 2010.) It is possible the NPR will be completed by the end of 2017.

Trump Budget Harms Women, Lines Defense Contractors’ Pockets

"By dramatically cutting the social safety net and diplomacy to pay for the military, President Trump has made his priorities loud and clear: he supports defense contractors over the working class, weapons and war over diplomacy, a new generation of nuclear weapons over the next generation of people.

"The proposed budget would particularly impact women and their families, who rely on the social safety net for economic stability and security, and, in some cases, to break the cycle of poverty. Massive divestments from Medicaid and supplemental nutrition assistance, the defunding of Planned Parenthood, cuts to education loan programs, and a paid family leave proposal that excludes too many from the system are just a few of the policies in this budget that directly target women in the United States. This budget would also cut diplomatic initiatives that promote women’s equality abroad, which research shows is one of the keys to national growth and stability.

"The tradeoff in this budget is women’s health and well-being for increased spending on the Pentagon, which received a $54 billion increase over the Budget Control Act caps. This budget continues the recent practice of stuffing the Pentagon coffers without requiring accountability. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney is justifying the slashed social safety net and diplomacy spending by saying that programs aren’t working. But he refuses to look into massive waste, fraud, and abuse at the Pentagon. For the last several decades, the Pentagon has spent over $60 billion dollars on canceled or failed weapons programs with virtually no consequences, for instance. Why isn’t the Trump Administration looking into what’s not working in these programs?

"WAND calls on Congress to reject the Trump budget proposal out of hand and work together to invest in programs that allow the American people the chance to pursue their dreams, escape poverty, save for their children’s education, and retire with dignity. They should fund diplomatic initiatives that fight extremism, increase women’s empowerment, and support children’s nutrition. This is not only the just thing to do; it builds stability abroad, which is in America’s national security interest. WAND urges Congress not to make any grand bargains that increases defense spending at the expense of women and families."

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]]>WAND Statement on the US Certification of Iranian Compliance with the Nuclear Agreementhttps://www.wand.org/2017/04/19/wand-statement-on-the-us-certification-of-iranian-compliance-with-the-nuclear-agreement/
Wed, 19 Apr 2017 13:36:19 +0000https://www.wand.org/?p=8885

WAND Statement on the US Certification of Iranian compliance with the Nuclear Agreement

Yesterday, the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson certified to Congress that Iran continues to comply with its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the landmark 2015 agreement that prevented Iran from building nuclear weapons in exchange for international sanctions relief. Sec. Tillerson wrote in the certification letter to Congress that the Trump administration would review the JCPOA to determine if US implementation is still in the national interest.

Megan Amundson, the Executive Director of Women’s Action for New Directions issued the following statement in response:

"The Trump administration’s certification of Iranian compliance with the JCPOA is good news, especially for those of us wondering if diplomacy is still considered an important tool for this president. Since the negotiations began in 2013, the Iran nuclear deal has demonstrated that engagement with our adversaries can result in peaceful solutions to stubborn international conflicts. Still, the continued success of the Iran Deal will hinge on all sides acting in good faith to implement their commitments under the agreement. To that end, the Trump administration should extend the nuclear-related sanctions relief waivers at the appropriate time, expected within the next month. In addition, Congress should hold off from enacting legislation that would impose broad new sanctions that could violate the spirit, if not the letter, of the agreement. We urge the administration to continue the agreement’s implementation. It’s hard to see how a compelling case could be made that the United States’ unilateral withdrawal would be more in our national security interest than its continued commitment to it."